Roadster moving to Grade 1 company for his next start

Bob Baffert jokes that Roadster — his flashy debut winner Sunday at Del Mar — is probably the first racehorse ever mentioned on TMZ before making his first start.

Given his familiarity outside the sport following a pair of Triple Crown sweeps, the Hall of Fame trainer last month found himself in an increasingly familiar situation: in front of the tabloid’s camera. It’s happened now both at the Los Angeles airport and Craig’s a West Hollywood restaurant.

“They’re always camped out there,” Baffert said. “They know me. They follow horse racing.”

Baffert said he was “just having fun with the guy” when he was asked to name his barn’s next star following American Pharoah and Justify.

“I said, ‘I don’t know. It’s too early.’ He was — come on, just give me one. So I said, ‘All right, Roadster.’”

The son of Quality Road, campaigned by Speedway Stable, flew to a 4 1/4-length victory first out under jockey Mike Smith, who tends to get on Baffert’s top horses — think Justify — only after they’ve broken their maiden.

“I’m a genius. I know — horse whisperer,” Baffert quipped, in hindsight, about the TMZ interview. “Sometimes you get lucky and we shout out the right word.”

But Baffert knew at the time he liked the colt, who received a bit of schooling in his first race. After reluctant to enter the gate, he sat behind horses before making a powerful move to the lead. His final time for six furlongs was 1:11.07.

Baffert said Roadster will point next to the Grade 1, $300,000 Del Mar Futurity on Sept. 3. The trainer has saddled a record 13 winners of that race, including American Pharoah in 2014.

Also in his barn are a pair of emerging 2-year-old fillies. Chasing Yesterday, the half sister to American Pharoah, won impressively last Saturday, while Mother Mother debuted with a win on July 22. As far as their next races, Baffert said, “I really don’t know what I’m going to do there,” with the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante set for Sept. 1.

An earlier version of this story stated that Roadster's debut race measured five furlongs. It has been corrected to six.